Ecclesiastes Sermon Series

Ecclesiastes: The Meaning of Life

I have been honored to expound on my favorite book of the Bible in church over the past few years. This is a very long-term series and we have only scratched the surface. Try to catch up by reading my sermon notes, if you dare. Or, jump in with us on the next one. [I should really add videos to these pages since most of the sermons were recorded.]

Part 1: Life Under the Sun
https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-guide-for-ecclesiastes-chapter-1.html

Part 2: Why is Life Like This?
https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2019/12/ecclesiastes-part-2-meaning-of-life.html

Part 3: Wisdom vs. Foolishness
https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2021/01/ecclesiastes-part-3-meaning-of-life.html

Part 4: The Sovereignty of God
https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2021/01/ecclesiastes-part-4-meaning-of-life.html

Part 5: Injustice, Death, Are you an animal?...and... Who is this Jesus?
https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2021/04/ecclesiastes-part-5-meaning-of-life.html

Part 6: Oppression, Toil, Envy, Laziness, Isolation, and Jesus
https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2022/03/ecclesiastes-part-6-meaning-of-life.html

Part 7: Joy and the Fear of God
https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2024/04/ecclesiastes-part-7-meaning-of-life-joy.html

Part 8: God Gives the Power to Enjoy

https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2024/08/ecclesiastes-part-8-god-gives-power-to.html

Part 9: The Authentic Life

https://bucketfullofgrace.blogspot.com/2024/08/ecclesiastes-part-9-authentic-life.html

Part 10: coming soon...

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What does "Deep Cries Out to Deep” mean?

There is a new song that the Worship Team at Abundant Life Fellowship has been working on. As you learn this song and give Him praise through it, our prayer is that you let go of your deep and let it call out to the Deep in God. Here is some background to the biblical roots of the song with a link to the music video done by Bethel Church at the bottom. Background for the Background: In Numbers 16 the Bible records an event in the life of a man named Korah. He was of the tribe of Levi and therefore set apart to be a member of the priesthood in Israel. He rebuked Moses, saying: " You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly? " -Numbers 16:3 He resented Moses' and Aaron's authority, and felt that he and his supporters could lead the Israelites more effectively. Later in the chapter, the earth opens underneath him and swallows him along with the others ...

The Fruits of the Spirit Series

Simple Translation into English: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 9:22-25 In the original Greek: But the fruit of the Spirit is agape , chara , eirene , makrothymia , chrestotes, agathosyne, pistis, praotes, and egkrateia . Against such things there is no law. The fruit of the spirit are commonly referenced in sermons, conversation, and even children's songs. I will be blogging a series which contains an in-depth study of each word in the original Greek with my commentary on its meaning. In the original language of the Biblical writers there is a connotation for each word that can be...

All verses with chara in the New Testament

The Gospel usage of the word chara: Click to go back to the word study on chara. Mat 2:10 KJV - When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great chara . Mat 13:20 KJV - But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with chara receiveth it; Mat 13:44 KJV - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found , he hideth , and for chara thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath , and buyeth that field. Mat 25:21 KJV - His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the chara of thy lord. Mat 25:23 KJV - His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the chara of thy lord. ...

ereine = peace

Peace is a gift from God: Peace being a fruit of the spirit is interesting because the word can be used as a political term referring to entire countries or as a very personal word referring to an inner state of being. I think that it is obvious that as a fruit of the Spirit the Bible is using this second meaning of the word peace and throughout the New Testament we can see that peace does not mean safety. Peace does not mean that there aren't people deliberately trying to destroy you. Many, if not all, of the writers of the New Testament were being persecuted for their beliefs and the early church was not at peace in the sense of the opposite of being at war. However, it shows God's Spirit dwelling inside of you when you have inner peace in the middle of this type of persecution. When you lose your job the fruit of the Spirit is still peace. When loved ones die the fruit of the Spirit is still peace. When people hate you and slander you sayi...

One Thing Remains by Jesus Culture

Why study what we sing? When I worship through music, it is very helpful to me to look into how the Bible lines up to what I'm singing. This knowledge makes a superficial singing of the words much more difficult for me, and I hope that sharing this will help you to focus better on what you are singing and who you are singing to. The newest song that we’ve sung as a congregation is “One Thing Remains,” by Jesus Culture: The lyrics to the song: Verse 1 Higher than the mountains that I face, Stronger than the power of the grave, Constant in the trial and the change, One thing remains. Chorus Your love never fails Never gives up It never runs out on me! Your love! Verse 2 On and on and on and on it goes. It overwhelms and satisfies my soul. And I never ever have to be afraid: One thing remains. BRIDGE In death. in life I’m confident and Covered by the power of Your great love. My debt is paid there’s nothing that Can separate my he...

Day 3: 10,000 Reasons/Bless the Lord -Matt Redman

I saw Matt Redman in concert when I was in college during a festival called Passion OneDay in Tennessee. It was a wonderful experience in that open field, rain pouring down, with tens of thousands of other college students singing "Let it rain... Open the floodgates of Heaven." He is a truly great worship leader with a gift for bringing people into a real worship experience. He does this with 10,000 Reasons [which he has won Dove Awards and Grammy Awards for]. This is one of the reasons that this is one of the first songs our worship team recorded to put online during church shutdowns. "Sing like never before. I'll worship Your Holy Name." Background This song quotes Psalms 103:1-5 which lays out five reasons to bless the Lord [His Name, His benefits, His Healing, His Lovingkindness and Compassion, and how He renews our youth like the eagle]: 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the ...

Day 5: Graves Into Gardens -Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, and Tiffany Hammer

A Different Kind of Background When we first sang Graves into Gardens at my church (Abundant Life Fellowship in Boonville, NY) there was some opposition to it. At the time, there were elements in Conservative Christian media that were trying to "cancel" Steven Furtick , mega-church pastor and co-author of this song. It seemed at the time that there was a very critical community that scoured the internet for something to be against and they latched onto being against Furtick and anything he was connected to. You can tell pretty easily that I disagree with that approach. However, it is alway possible that a mega-church pastor is a wolf in sheep's clothing so I do understand the urge to be skeptical and to " test all things and hold onto that which is true." I think the deeper problem for me is that I used to be extremely critical in the same way. When I was in college, before cancelling was the cultural go-to phenomenon that is today, I would ba...

Prophecies of Jesus fulfilled Part 1 [Genesis]

Well here is an ambitious project. There are hundreds of prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament which are fulfilled in the New Testament. My aim is to catalog them all and show where they are fulfilled. In this first installment, I will concentrate only on the Prophecies about Jesus contained in the book of Genesis. My hope is that this will also be a helpful reference for others when it is finished. The prophecies are in bold followed by an outline of what the prophecy says [sometimes multiple ideas in a single verse] then the references to where it is fulfilled int he New Testament. I have left out commentary on these passages for now and am letting the Scripture speak for itself. [All Scripture references are from the NASB translation.] -Genesis 3:15- "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." He will be the seed of ...

Rich Men North of Richmond: A Christian's Perspective

Millions of people in just a few days have been listening to Oliver Anthony (Christopher Lunsford) sing passionately about the plight of blue collar America. After coming out with his viral song "Rich Men North of Richmond," followed up by a plethora of reaction videos, providing more songs and comments himself, the news channels weighing in, the media influencers seizing the moment to get a few more clicks and ad revenue, even the politicians themselves having commented on how much they agree (it of course being the other side of the political spectrum that is being sung about...) I am left to ponder. What is the Biblical View of Rich Men North of Richmond? Here are the lyrics: I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day / Overtime hours for bullshit pay / So I can sit out here and waste my life away / Drag back home and drown my troubles away. Pre-Chorus: It's a damn shame what the world's gotten to / For people like me and people like you / Wish I could...

Ecclesiastes Part 2 The Meaning of Life

Ecclesiastes 2 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) The Meaning of Life: Part 2: When will you be happy? ____________________ Chapter 1:12-2:11 12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, 13 applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. 14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind. 15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I said to myself, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow....

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